Participant 12

Guiding Questions:

What are your initial thoughts about the concept of Literacy with ICT (LwICT)?
Like most others involved with this process, /i am a strong believer that the LwICT concept can only help our students succeed in the changing global climate. Offereing them the opportunity to learn and demonstrate their learning using the tools they are already familiar with can only serve to improve their confidence and ability to achieve success in the 21st century.

What implementation barriers for LwICT do you foresee at Senior Years?
There are many obstacles to the implementation of LwICT. One is the infrastructure avaliable in school divisions, and resources available to individual teachers and students. If LwICT is going to be mandated across the province, financial backing will have to be provided to the school divisions to ensure that the technology can be made available to schools in all corners of our province. Also, there needs to be a paradigm shift; there are still those who are opposed to the use of some technologies in schools (i.e. cell phones) and others who have yet to embrace the pedagogical shift- from pen and paper to YouTube and Wikipedia.

What opportunities does LwICT present for Senior Years?
Senior Years students in 2009 are very adept at using the technology that is given to them; in fact most have greater knowledge of how to use a computer than their teacher. This being said, the opportunities are endless. Students can communicate with others around the world- our lessons can be truly global. In the era of globalization, what we will be able to offer our students through ICT will only serve to create a more connected, cohesive, and ultimately a more cooperative, global citizenry.

What professional learning is required initially to prepare Senior Years teachers to begin to use the LwICT continuum?
Many of the younger teachers (myself included) can easily embrace the technological advances in education quite readily. All we would probably require is a day or two of PD and collaboration to share ideas and learn the basics behind things like Wikispaces and Twitter. However, the 'veteran' teachers may require some further PD (I cannot speak for them though).
The continuum itself is quite easy to digest. As has been mentioned at the LwICT sessions, teachers already implement the cognitive aspect of the document- teaching the affective domain will only require a basic understanding of the technology.

What types of ICT do you currently have in your Senior Years classroom?
My Senior Years classroom is a 'have not' ICT room. I have access to the internet- but only have one computer, which is my laptop. I do have a projector and I am able to show students YouTube videos, but the students have little opportunity to use ICT on their own.

What types of ICT are available to you in your school, but not in your classroom?
Our school has 4 computer classrooms- but they are classrooms that are always in use. It is nearly impossible to take a class to do internet research or any other ICT activity.

What subjects and grades do you teach and how do you currently use ICT to enhance student learning?
I am a grade 9 and 10 SS teacher. I have given students opportunities to create Windows Movie Maker projects as final assessments, online blogs, and I am in the process of creating an online scrap-booking assignment.